My Cookie-Baking Sister

"Okay."

"I'll be back in a second." Kate repositioned her tablet so it had a view of her bedroom. Then she joined the chat from another computer. "Ignore this one," she said. "I want to be able to see what the video from my tablet looks like." I closed that window and returned to looking at Kate's bedroom.

A few moments later, Kate jumped into view. "Ta-da!"

At first, I thought Kate was wearing Belle's yellow ballroom dress from "Beauty and the Beast". Then I figured out she was wearing essentially a very long T-shirt (it went down almost to her shoes) that had printed on it a design that looked like Belle's ballroom dress. The design had the yellow dress against a blue background, which tricked the eyes initially but looked odd against Kate's light pink bedroom wall. The dress printed on the long T-shirt was much narrower than Belle's actual dress. Still, it was the closest I could imagine Kate getting to wearing Belle's yellow ball gown.

I said, "You look so much like Belle." She did. With her brown hair, good looks, and that outfit, she looked over the video call like one of the performers at Disney World who dress up like Belle.

"You don't think I look silly or stupid?"

"You look great. The outfit really suits you. You'd be a hit at any costume party."

Kate blushed at my praise. "You wouldn't be embarrassed to be seen with me dressed like this?"

"Not at all. I'd be proud to be seen with my sister while she looked so good."

Kate blushed some more, then disappeared off the screen. I realized Kate must have practiced this quite a bit before calling me. She had known where to jump so she'd fit the full screen of the tablet, though she had initially been a little off-center. The tablet was probably in a slightly different position from when she had practiced, so she had used the video feed on her computer to quickly move into the position she wanted. She had performed her first reveal quite well, and I looked forward to the second. I heard some rustling, and then Kate jumped back on screen. "Ta-da!"

All the air was sucked out of my lungs. Kate was wearing a sexy-as-hell, bright yellow two-piece bikini. The top was quite small, and, when Kate had landed, her tits had bounced so much I thought they might pop out of it. Boom! I was instantly hard. The bottom was small too, but I didn't pay much attention to it as I was mesmerized by Kate's tits. Kate looked off to the side before stepping forward, so from her head to a little below her crotch was what was on my screen. The straps of her top went sideways around her arms instead of upward, creating a line that was reminiscent of Belle's ballroom gown. In the middle of Kate's top was a small red rose, and the material behind it looked like ruffles. The cups of the top were made to mimic the cut of a low-cut gown, but they made Kate's big tits look massive, like only the very end of her tit fit into the small cup and the rest of her tit was exposed above it. I stared at Kate's glorious ta-tas for a few moments, then realized I was staring, and I forced myself to check out the rest of the bikini.

The bottom was a large yellow triangle over Kate's crotch with what looked like ruffles across the top, and the ruffles led to high up Kate's hips. On the ruffles were two small red roses, like the one on the top. I don't know if it was the way the bottom was cut or how the ruffle band looked, but I felt like it showed a lot more than it actually did. And of course, what the bikini showed looked great. Kate had a wonderful body, with broad shoulders, big tits, a flat stomach, a narrow waist, and wide hips. I had seen this much of it only the one time Kate had come over to sunbathe at my apartment, and I had forgotten how great of a body she had. Her wearing this bikini just for me to see made her look even hotter.

"Do you like it?" asked Kate nervously.

"You look incredible, Kate. So sexy. That bikini is very flattering for you."

Kate smiled before slowly turning around while watching herself on her computer. As she turned, I saw that the straps around her arms were faux straps, and the top underneath had a band around the sides like a normal bikini top. The back of the top was a narrow band, and the back of the bottom was on the small size but yet nicely lifted and shaped Kate's heart-shaped ass.

Kate kept turning until she was back facing me. When she saw the look on my face, she gave me a happy smile.

I said, "You'll turn heads at the pool whenever you wear it."

"Thanks, Justin." Kate looked down coquettishly and batted her eyelashes before looking up at me. "But I'll never wear this to a pool. I only got it to show to you." An embarrassed look came across her face. "I consider you my practice boyfriend for my summer. This bikini..." - Kate raised her arms - "...is too revealing for me to wear in front of anyone but my boyfriend."

"Your practice boyfriend?" I said in surprise.

Kate moved to her tablet so all I could see was her face. "Yeah. I've never had a boyfriend or gone on a date. I've never talked much with guys. But you're easy for me to talk to, and I decided to spend this summer acting as if you were my boyfriend who was away from the summer."

I was stunned. Yes, Kate and I had talked a lot on this summer tour, probably an hour almost every evening. But I had never considered our chats remotely boyfriend-girlfriend-like. It was just us, talking about books, the business, and our days.

But then again, that was what boyfriends and girlfriends who were apart did - talk about their days and what they had in common. Books and the business was what we had in common. And our conversations were enjoyable.

Kate asked, "There's nothing wrong with that, is there? You're okay with being my practice boyfriend for the summer, aren't you?"

My first thought was 'No' - I shouldn't be her practice boyfriend. But would I prefer she chat with me or Travis? Travis was definitely the kind of guy who'd sweet-talk Kate, take advantage of her, and break her heart. Dad had me promise to look after Kate. Wouldn't letting her practice her relationship skills safely with me fall under that?

I said, "I'd be happy and honored to be your practice boyfriend for the summer."

* * * *

Two weeks later, I got a call from a college friend. After shooting the breeze for a little bit, he said, "Did you know Travis and Brooklynne are dating?"

"They began dating right at the end of the school year. Last I heard, they had broken up."

"I had dinner with them last night, and they're definitely together." Suddenly, the pain was back again. I had thought they were done, and this news came as a complete surprise. "There were eight of us. Brooklynne started complaining about the restaurant being too cold, like you know she'll do."

"Been there, done that, could write a thick book." I was still reeling from the news that Brooklynne and Travis were dating.

"Yeah. Well, you'd always say something sweet to her, and she'd be fine for the rest of dinner."

"Okay." I didn't see the point of this. "Is that what Travis did?"

"No. He told her the temperature was fine. Then she complained about how her water tasted, and he told her it was fine. They kept doing that, and, each time, Brooklynne got more upset. Finally, she blew up at Travis and stormed out of the restaurant."

"No shit. They broke up in front of six other people?" Whoo!

My friend laughed. "Not at all. Once Brooklynne left, Travis told us she'd be back in a little bit. He called over the waitress and gave her Brooklynne's food to keep warm. He acted like it was no big deal. It was a big deal as their fighting ruined the meal for the rest of us. Ten minutes later, Brooklynne was back. She apologized to everyone for losing her temper. They were all lovey-dovey for the rest of the evening. It was the second time I had been out with them when they had a fight, and it was very similar to the time before. It was amazing to see them go through it all again."

* * * *

I simmered all the next day as I drove Dad around. He didn't notice as he was off in writerland, banging out chapters of his next novel. When Kate and I started our video call, I unloaded.

"I'm too damn nice. I'm too damn nice for my own good. I should stand up for myself more, but I don't get angry like a sane person should. So I get taken advantage of all the time." I closed my eyes and shook my head. "My life sucks because I'm too damn nice."

Kate said in a shocked tone, "You aren't too nice!"

"Yes, I am!"

"No, you aren't!"

I told Kate the conversation I had the prior night. "You wouldn't believe how hard I worked for two years to keep Brooklynne in the best possible mood; all the shit I took from her; all the times I bit my tongue and swallowed my pride to say not what she deserved but what would make her happy. And Brooklynne never, ever appreciated all I did for her. Now, Travis treats her like shit in front of friends, and she loves him for it."

"But Justin--"

"And that's not all. I should have beaten the crap out of Travis at the end of the school year. First for hitting on you behind my back, second for bedding Brooklynne without asking my permission. I should have punched his lights out. But noooooo! I'm too fucking nice. I'm too much of a wimp. Instead, I agreed to room with Travis again next year. I signed next year's lease before I left home. I'm going to have to put up with him smirking at me all the time because he's banging Brooklynne and I'm not. I'm so fucking stupid."

Kate looked furious. "Stop it! You are not stupid, you are not a wimp, and you are not too nice. You're perfect the way you are--"

"And now, I'm wasting the last summer of my college years driving Dad around the US while Travis and the rest of my friends are having a blast back home. I hate these drives. I hate not having a social life for three months. I hate not being able to date, or even seriously flirt, for a quarter of the year. Dad doesn't need me. I do nothing a high school dropout couldn't do. I should be back in Knoxville, working at a real summer job that gives me useful work experience instead of wasting my life driving a minivan."

Kate looked at me with a big frown on her face. I kept waiting for her to say something, but she didn't. Finally, she said, "Are you done?"

The way she said it, I felt kind of stupid. "Yeah. I'm done."

"Okay. Let's first discuss how important you are to the family business..."

Her saying business triggered another grievance. "No, I'm not done." Feeling the anger re-surging. "I'm a business major. I expected Mom to show me the books and ask my advice on how to make more money. But she never has."

"Seriously?" Kate's eyebrows shot way up high. "You expect Mom to tell you about how much they make?"

"Well, like I said..."

"Did Brooklynne's parents ever discuss their financial situation with her while you dated her?"

I shook my head. "The closest thing was her dad telling her not to spend too much, but 'too much' was never defined."

"Steph thinks her family has been on the verge of bankruptcy for years, but her parents have never discussed their financial situation with her. The only reason she knows they're in trouble is that she's overheard them asking family to lend them money. Do any of your friends know anything about their family's finances?"

She was making me feel stupid. "No."

"Mom does talk to me a lot because I'm home and because she has to tell me what they're thinking so I can plan how to cover it in Dad's social media. But Mom is always vague about finances with me. I don't know if anyone has told you, but Mom's told me they're thinking of stopping the summer tours next summer because you won't be available to drive."

Ha! "You see! They don't need me to drive Dad around."

"They have needed you. I couldn't drive Dad around like you do. Mom couldn't either. Ninety-nine percent of people couldn't take the silence all day. And Dad trusts you. He knows you'll get him wherever he needs to be on time. He knows you're a safe driver and you never get rattled or do anything rash. When he gets in the car with you, he can totally focus on writing as he knows you'll handle everything else. He writes more in the summer while you're driving than he does the rest of the year."

Dad had told me that several times.

Kate continued, "Mom told me at the start of the summer that the books Dad's writing under his pen names this summer will be the last he'll write as he can't write enough to keep supporting them without the summer tour. They were looking at a big drop in income once the summer tours stopped. I think they've been planning on that drop in income happening, which is why they had the cash to buy me a nice new car once Dad made the New York Times Best Seller list."

I was feeling frustrated. I had wanted Kate to at least somewhat agree with me. I said sullenly, "Well, I didn't have any part in him making the Best Seller list."

"Yes, you did. He wrote most of it while you drove him. But most importantly, Dad built a massive marketing machine based around the summer tours, and that marketing machine is what pushed him onto the Best Seller list. Dad didn't suddenly write a whole lot better. And that marketing machine is going away next year."

I shook my head. I wanted to be aggrieved, to have it unfair that I had to sacrifice my summer. But Kate wasn't letting me; she was telling me things I mostly should have figured out on my own. I certainly had the time to have figured them out.

Kate rolled on. "As for being too nice with Brooklynne, just because she didn't show appreciation doesn't mean she didn't appreciate what you did. She always wanted to make up after you broke up, right? Did she do that with her prior boyfriends?"

Kate running rings around me. "No."

Kate was thoughtful for a second. "It might have been good for you to learn to deal with Brooklynne. The next time you date, you'll know all these tricks for turning things around whenever things get rough. You said you learned things to calm her down, to push back the eventual big fight. What were some of the things you learned to do?"

"Well..." I was slightly embarrassed. "Little stuff. I'd always be aware of what she's wearing and compliment her on something new. I'd occasionally bring her flowers or chocolate. I'd give her massages..."

"A massage doesn't sound little."

It was embarrassing telling Kate such personal stuff. "It was little. When negative emotions were building up in Brooklynne, her muscles would get tense. If I noticed that while she was sitting in a chair, I'd massage her shoulders and neck until the tension went away, and that usually made the negative emotions go away too."

"Oooh! I'd like that." Kate asked, "Did you ever do anything big? Really romantic?"

"Well..." I wasn't sure if I should share, but what the hell? "I'd take her for walks around campus. Sometimes I'd take her to where they hold outdoor weddings, and I'd start describing what our wedding would look like. Brooklynne would totally get into it, describing what her wedding dress would be like-"

"What would her wedding dress would be like?" asked Kate eagerly. "Would it have a long train?"

"I...I don't remember much about what it would look like. But it would have a long train. And she'd tell me who all her bridesmaids would be and what they'd wear, and what flowers we would have." Kate had this beatific look on her face. "I don't think she was actually imagining marrying me, but she loved picturing herself in the center of a huge wedding. That would always put her in a good mood." And when we got back to her dorm room, she was inevitably a tigress.

"Oh my god!" said Kate. "If my boyfriend ever did that with me, I'd...I'd...My heart would just burst."

I smiled. "When you get serious with a guy, I'll give him that little tip." I was feeling a lot better now. "Okay, I was wrong about being on the summer tour and being too nice to Brooklynne."

"I can understand you being upset, but the person you should be upset with is the friend who called you to tell you about Travis dating Brooklynne. It was painful to hear, and you were understandably angry afterward. What was the point of telling you?"

She had a point - that call had triggered my anger, and I hadn't needed to be updated on Brooklynne and Travis' romance.

I asked, "Since when did you become so practical?"

Kate laughed. "I've always been practical about other people's life. It's mine I'm totally impractical about."

"I noticed you didn't mention Travis."

Kate looked down in embarrassment. "You were too nice to Travis. I wouldn't have minded if you had beat him up. I had thought he was totally sincere when he talked to me, and he had me wrapped around his finger. I was so ready to do everything with him. Then to find out he'd never been serious the whole time." Kate fumed for a bit. "And he never said he was sorry once he was found out. Instead, he kept flirting with me."

"Well, you flirted back."

"I taunted him. I acted very differently towards him once I found out he had been insincere and hadn't cared. As long as he could check out my boobs, he was happy. And then when he broke up with Brooklynne, he was calling me and trying to sweet talk me again. Unbelievable!"

Kate was pissed, and she and Travis hadn't done anything. What would it have done to her if Travis had gotten her in bed?

Kate continued. "But putting that aside, you're not going to enjoy being roommates with him as long as he's dating Brooklynne. There are going to be constant reminders that she's with him and not with you."

I sighed. I knew it to be true. "And it's not going to stop hurting until I get a new girlfriend."

"Which you aren't going to do anytime soon as you're traveling the whole summer."

Ouch! Kate was being almost too practical about my life.

I said, "Well, there doesn't seem to be any way around it. I'll just have to make the best of it."

* * * *

For the rest of the summer, I'd get a call about once a week from a friend to tell me about Brooklynne and Travis fighting and then making up. At first, I was tempted to say something like "Hey! Why don't you poke me in the eye while you're at it?" I had one friend say, "You know, I thought it was silly the way you'd fawn all over Brooklynne when she complained the least bit, but the whole evening I was with Brooklynne and Travis, I wanted to shake Travis and tell him to do what you used to do."

Eventually, I came to the realization that people had loved Brooklynne when I had dated her as they had only seen the fun, witty side of her. Now, they couldn't stand doing things with her, and they were calling me to grieve the passing of a dear friend. Or maybe they were calling with the hope I'd do an intervention. Well, I had done all I could do for Brooklynne, and she would only change if she wanted to change. Maybe if she lost all her friends, she'd realize how great of a boyfriend I had been. But if she did realize it, it wouldn't matter - I was over her now and wasn't willing to get back on that roller coaster.

Every day, Kate got more excited about our Disney World trip. She was doing a ton of research and had our itinerary all planned out - on this day, this park was open early for people staying on-site, these were the attractions we'd hit first, this was the park that was closing late, and this was the parade or special event we should see that day. Her excitement was infectious, and I too was counting the days until the start of the trip.

* * * *

Dad and I had gotten up at five for the fourteen-hour drive from Phoenix to San Antonio. We'd spend the night there, then at Houston and Dallas before driving home. I could see the light at the end of the tunnel.

As I was driving, I happened to look down and saw that I had a text. I picked up my phone and saw that Mom had sent "Have Dad call me NOW!"